She bit her lip, eyes darkening.
The sight made my stomach tighten. I sniffed the air, but there were too many scents from the bar, from wood planks and peanuts to the inebriation of other patrons, to catch any whiff of arousal from Jasmine. I leaned over the table, reaching for her hand.
“So did your grandmother make aphrodisiacs?”
“Not that I’m aware of.” She turned her hand under mine so our palms were pressed together.
I smiled as I traced along the lines of her palm. “Though, come to think of it, it’s not like we need them, is it? Our past experience was quite intense enough already.”
“Maybe that was just because of my heat,” Jasmine answered. Though her voice lowered, taking extra care we wouldn’t be overheard, she played her fingers against my palm in an almost sensuous way that made me stiffen in my trousers. “We were all in an altered state. There’s no telling if that will be our typical…bondingexperience.”
At this, Jace gulped down a large swallow of his drink. Owen shifted in his seat, clearly affected by her words. Even Renz had concentrated back on the situation at hand.
Jasmine glanced around at the four of us, her blush intensifying. But it was proof of how much things had truly changed between us all that she didn’t draw back or shrink. Instead, she smiled, her embarrassment present, but not enough to stop her.
“So maybe…we should experiment. To see if what happened with the heat really is going to be our baseline or if it was just a fluke.” She hesitated, then bit her lip. “Although I’m not sure that I want to have such a marathon like last time. I was really wiped out afterward. I’m not sure how this is meant to work… I did read a book once where the heroine had sex with four men, but it sounded a bit painful, if I’m honest.”
I clucked my tongue, images pouring into my mind. There were a few of them that I thought would be for sure too much. After all, Jasmine was still inexperienced, since the heat was her first and only time.
“We’ve never had sex like that before, either,” Owen told her. He put his hand on her shoulder, playing with her hair. “I mean, we’ve all shared an encounter. But it’s always been just two of us and the woman. Or multiple women.”
Jasmine’s eyes widened. “Oh. So that’s why you were all so comfortable with it…” she considered, then scowled. “I don’t want to bring other women into this. I think I’d scratch out their eyes.”
Her jealousy did things to me. It made me want to crow to the rooftops that I belonged to my mate. I pulled her hand to my lips. “I’d do worse if you suggested any other man. I’m glad to know that you’re open to more experiences, Jasmine. I’ve been holding back for your sake. We can go slow. Experiment with different ways of being together. I’m sure we’ll find something that gives all of us the satisfaction we crave.”
She smiled back at me, though I could see the nerves behind her eyes. Was she wondering how she would have the stamina to please all four of us?
Well, I had ideas about that, too.
“Shall we go back home?” I asked as I pushed back from the table.
We all started to move. Renz growled under his breath and stepped to one side in front of Jasmine. I tensed, my wolf on alert as I followed his gaze. The troublemakers had caught sight of us and were also standing. They ribbed each other, clearly hyping themselves up to approach.
Great. Just what we fucking needed, a bunch of assholes causing trouble.
Owen and Jace quickly moved to stand between the troublemakers and Renz. Jasmine grabbed his arm, shaking asshe caught sight of them, too. I hurried around the table, putting my arm around her. Jace and Owen stayed close to Renz as we hurried to get out of the bar.
My wolf growled, not liking the feeling that we were running from a fight. It certainly wouldn’t look good if we simply walked out on an altercation, but the bar was crowded, and we had Jasmine here. It was clear from the outsiders’ expressions that they were drunk and after a little revenge on Renz. Given the pack they belonged to, they might even want to prove we were a bunch of weaklings for taking Jasmine as our wife in the first place.
If they reached us, they would no doubt provoke Renz and start a fight. We risked hurting bystanders, and most importantly, Jasmine. She was nervous again, having sensed the tension.
We left the bar and started for the car. Jace, Owen, and Renz hung back, watching to make sure I got Jasmine out.
“Why aren’t they coming?” Jasmine asked, pulling against my grip.
“They’ll stay and take care of this,” I told her.
Jasmine tugged herself free and headed back toward them. “Renz, please—"
The troublemakers all stumbled out of the bar and grinned when they saw us. I rushed over to Jasmine, putting an arm around her again. She resisted my attempts to pull her to the safety of the car.
“If it isn’t the alphas and their little omegas mate,” one of the troublemakers said.
His companions chuckled, and a dark-haired one with a scar over his face answered, “Not so little, though, is she, Graham?”
“Keep your opinions to yourself,” Renz snapped.
Jace pushed him back before facing the outsiders. “Remember whose territory you are in. Do you want to return to your territory to face your alphas, knowing you’ve caused trouble?”
